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Socrates of Constantinople, Church History 1.9.50-1.9.55

   https://caesarea-maritima.org/testimonia/381

Context

Socrates of Constantinople, the “Scholastic,” was an otherwise unknown historian of the early 5th century. He wrote his account of the Church from 305 to 439 to continue Eusebius of Caesarea, adopting a particular perspective on the relationship between Imperial and ecclesiastical authority. In this passage, Socrates records Eusebius’ direct quotation of a letter he had received as bishop of Caesarea from the emperor. The letter probably dates from the late autumn of 335 C.E. or winter of 335-336 C.E. By then Eusebius had returned to Caesarea from Constantinople, where he delivered before Constantine in the Palace his speech on the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, dedicated September, 335 C.E. (Life of Constantine 4.33). Constantine wrote Eusebius to order 50 special bibles (“Divine Scriptures”) for use by the churches of Constantinople, which were growing as the new capital flourished. The production of these copies apparently in multivolume sets of lavish codices would have been carried out at the Ecclesiastical Library of Caesarea.

Text

(50) … Ὁποῖα δὲ καὶ περὶ τῆς τῶν ἱερῶν βιβλίων κατασκευῆς πρὸς Εὐσέβιον ἔγραψεν τὸν Παλαιστῖνον, ἐξ αὐτῶν τῶν γραμμάτων καταμαθεῖν εὐπετές.“Νικητὴς Κωνσταντῖνος Μέγιστος Σεβαστὸς Εὐσεβίῳ Καισαρείας.(51) Κατὰ τὴν ἐπώνυμον ἡμῖν πόλιν τῆς τοῦ σωτῆρος Θεοῦ συναιρομένης προνοίας μέγιστον πλῆθος ἀνθρώπων τῇ ἁγιωτάτῃ ἐκκλησίᾳ ἀνατέθεικεν ἑαυτὸ ὡς πάντων ἐκεῖσε πολλὴν λαβόντων αὔξησιν. (52) Σφόδρα τοίνυν ἄξιον καταφαίνεται καὶ ἐκκλησίας ἐν αὐτῇ κατασκευασθῆναι πλείους. Τοιγάρτοι <δέδεξο> προθυμότατα τὸ δόξαν τῇ ἡμετέρᾳ προαιρέσει· πρέπον κατεφάνη δηλῶσαι τοῦτο τῇ σῇ συνέσει, ὅπως ἂν πεντήκοντα σωμάτια ἐν διφθέραις ἐγκατασκεύοις εὐανάγνωστά τε καὶ πρὸς τὴν χρῆσιν εὐπαρακόμιστα ὑπὸ τεχνιτῶν καλλιγράφων καὶ ἀκριβῶς τὴν τέχνην ἐπισταμένων γραφῆναι κελεύσειας, τῶν θείων δηλαδὴ γραφῶν, ὧν μάλιστα τὴν ἐπισκευὴν καὶ τὴν χρῆσιν τῷ τῆς ἐκκλησίας λόγῳ ἀναγκαῖον εἶναι γινώσκεις. (53) Ἀπέσταλται δὲ γράμματα παρὰ τῆς ἡμετέρας ἡμερότητος πρὸς τὸν τῆς διοικήσεως καθολικόν, ὅπως ἂν πάντα τὰ πρὸς τὴν ἐπισκευὴν αὐτῶν ἐπιτήδεια παρασχεῖν φροντίσειεν. (54) Ἵνα γὰρ ὡς τάχιστα τὰ γραφέντα σωμάτια κατασκευασθείη, τῆς σῆς ἐπιμελείας ἔργον τοῦτο γενήσεται· καὶ γὰρ δύο δημοσίων ὀχημάτων ἐξουσίαν εἰς διακομιδὴν ἐκ τῆς αὐθεντίας τοῦ γράμματος ἡμῶν τούτου λαβεῖν σε προσήκει. (55) Οὕτω γὰρ ἂν μάλιστα τὰ καλῶς γραφέντα καὶ μέχρι τῶν ἡμετέρων ὄψεων ῥᾷστα διακομισθείη, ἑνὸς δηλαδὴ τοῦτο πληροῦντος τῶν ἐκ τῆς σῆς ἐκκλησίας διακόνων· ὃς ἐπειδὰν ἀφίκηται πρὸς ἡμᾶς, τῆς ἡμετέρας πειραθήσεται φιλανθρωπίας. Ὁ Θεός σε διαφυλάξει, ἀδελφὲ ἀγαπητέ.”1

Textual Note

Ed. Hussey and Bright 1893 with ref. to Hansen 1995

Translation

(50) … We can easily ascertain from the letters themselves what he wrote to Eusebius (the bishop) of Palestine concerning the preparation of Holy Bibles: “The Victor Constantine Maximus Augustus to Eusebius. (51) Through the sustaining Providence of God our Savior, it happens that great numbers have united themselves to the most Holy Church in the city which is called by my name (sc. Constantinople). (52) It seems, therefore, highly requisite, since that city is rapidly advancing in prosperity in all other respects, that the number of churches should also be increased. Do you, therefore, receive with all readiness my determination on this behalf. I have thought it expedient to instruct your Intelligence to order fifty volumes, leatherbound and ornate, to be written in a highly legible way, easy to carry for use, by skilled calligraphers, keenly knowledgable of their craft, copies that is of the Divine Scriptures, the provision and use of which you know are necessary for discourse in church. (53) The catholicus of the diocese has also received instructions by letter from our Clemency to take care to furnish all things necessary for the preparation of such copies; (54) and the task for your special oversight is to furnish the completed copies as quickly as possible. (55) You are also authorized by virtue of this letter to use two of the public carriages for their conveyance, by which arrangement the copies, when fairly written, will most easily be forwarded for my personal inspection; and one of the deacons of your church may be entrusted with this service, who, on his arrival here, will enjoy my generosity. God protect you, dear brother!”2

Translation Note

Adapted from Zenos 1890 and Périchon and Maraval 2004, with ref. to Cameron and Hill 1999

Works Cited

  • 1 Socrates of Constantinople, Ecclesiastical History, According to the Text of Hussey, ed. Robert Hussey and William Bright, 2nd ed. (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1893), bk: 1, ch: 9.50-9.55.Link to Zotero Bibliographic RecordLink to HathiTrust Bibliographic record
  • 2 Socrates of Constantinople, Socrates: Church History from A.D. 305-439, in Socrates, Sozomenus: Church Histories., trans. Andrew C Zenos, repr. of American ed., A Select Library of Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Churhc. Second Series 2 (New York: Christian Literature Publishing, 1890), 1–178, p: 16.Link to Zotero Bibliographic RecordLink to Worldcat Bibliographic record

Additional Bibliography

  • Socrates of Constantinople, Kirchengeschichte, ed. Günther Christian Hansen, Die griechischen christlichen Schriftsteller der ersten Jahrhunderte n.F. 1 (Berlin: Akademie Verlag, 1995), bk: 1, ch: 9.50-9.55.Link to Zotero Bibliographic Record
  • Socrates of Constantinople, Socrate de Constantinople: Histoire ecclésiastique, trans. Pierre Périchon and Pierre Maraval, 4 vols., Sources chrétiennes 477, 493, 505, 506 (Paris: Éditions du Cerf, 2004), vol: 1, p: 134-135.Link to Zotero Bibliographic Record
  • Eusebius of Caesarea, Life of Constantine, trans. Averil Cameron and Stuart G. Hill, Clarendon Ancient History Series (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1999), p: 166-167, 326-327.Link to Zotero Bibliographic Record
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How to Cite This Entry

Joseph L. Rife, “Socrates of Constantinople, Church History 1.9.50-1.9.55,” in Caesarea Maritima: A Collection of Testimonia, entry published June 30, 2023, https://caesarea-maritima.org/testimonia/381.

Bibliography:

Joseph L. Rife, “Socrates of Constantinople, Church History 1.9.50-1.9.55.” In Caesarea Maritima: A Collection of Testimonia, edited by Joseph L. Rife., edited by Joseph L. Rife. Caesarea City and Port Exploration Project, 2023. Entry published June 30, 2023. https://caesarea-maritima.org/testimonia/381.

About this Entry

Entry Title: Socrates of Constantinople, Church History 1.9.50-1.9.55

Authorial and Editorial Responsibility:

  • Joseph L. Rife, general editor, Vanderbilt University
  • Joseph L. Rife, editor, Caesarea Maritima: A Collection of Testimonia
  • David A. Michelson, Daniel L. Schwartz, and William L. Potter, technical editor, “Socrates of Constantinople, Church History 1.9.50-1.9.55”
  • Joseph L. Rife, entry contributor, “Socrates of Constantinople, Church History 1.9.50-1.9.55”

Additional Credit:

  • TEI encoding by Joseph L. Rife
  • URNs and other metadata added by Joseph L. Rife
  • Electronic text added by Joseph L. Rife
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